Carpet-sweeper



(No Modem s sums-smet 1.

G. S. SANFORD. CARPET SWEEPBR.

No. 481,826. Patented Aug. 30, 1892.

WWESSES o@ 30.3.5?33/91 i 1ML (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3;

G. S. SANFORD.

CARPET SWBEPBR.

No. 481,826. Patented Aug. 30,1892.

Nirnn' STATES' GEORGE S. SANFORD, OF MOUNT OLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SE'ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,826, dated August 80, 1892.

Application filed November 9, 1891. SerialNo. 411,378. (No model.)

To all whom ,it may-concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. SANFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Clemens, county of Macomb, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Carpet-Sweepers; and I de- Clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet-sweepers, and has for its object the pro- Vision of means for dumping the dust-pans by the operation of mechanism attached to or supported on the handle, so as to avoid the necessity for stooping or handling the sweeper.

I employ means consisting of mechanism attached to the body of the sweeper, either inside or outside the inclosing case, and operated by a rod, chain, or cable extending alongside of the handle or through the handle, as the case may be, and employing at the end of the rod, cable, or chain suitable means for operating it with one hand or the other and either drawing or pushing the rod to operate the dumping mechanism. One of the principal features of my invention is that of passing the operating rod or cable connected with the handle up through the center of the sweeper, whereby it keeps the same relative position to the handle when the handle is swung to either side of the sweeper, as is common in the construction of carpet-sweepers. This permits me to produce practically the same result on the dumping mechanism from whatever side the sweeper may be operated.

In the drawings, Figure l is a cross-section of a sweeper and its handle. Fig. 2 isacrosssection showing a different form of the internal operating-links. Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing a still different form of the internal links. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the rockshafts. Figs. 6, 8, and 10 show details of the attachment of the dumping reach-rod when used with a solid handle. Fig. 7 is a perspective, partly broken away, of a sweeper employing a single rock-arm for operating two dust-pans in the same sweeper. Figs. 9 and 11 show details of the upper attachment when used with a hollow handle and chain connections. Fig. 12 shows still another form of connecting-links for dumping.

A is the frame or case of the sweeper, and A A are dust-pans pivoted in the case at a and adapted to swing open in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 12.

B B are longitudinal rock-shafts extending through the sweeper and supported at each end by the case.

B B are rock-arms extending from said rock-shafts near the ends.

O O are links connecting the rock-arms B' B with their respective dust-pans A', to which they are pivoted. At the middle of each rockshaft B is attached a rockearm b, extending inward to the center of the sweeper and directly underneath the opening a in the case A. If the rock-arms b Z), Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, and 12, are lifted at their inner ends, the rockshaft B is turned and the outer end of the arms B B is depressed and the dust-pans A forced open. In lieu of the rock-shaft and rock-arm shown in Fig. 4. a rock-shaft having a central crank, as shown in Fig. 5, may be employed, the cable being connected to the crank, which thus virtually becomes a rockarm and performs the same oiiice. To the end of the case is attached the spring a2, engaged at either end with one of the dust-pans, so as to hold it in a closed position. To the inner ends of the rock-arms b is attached an end of the chain D, which is permitted to move freely up and down through the opening a in the top of the case and extends up along the handle and is attached to a sliding hand-piece E. Underneath the hand-piece E is a spring-catch c, adapted to spring out and hold the hand-piece to the end of its extreme upward movement, as shown in Fig. l. A sliding ring E near the bottom of the wooden part of the handle is attached to one of the links of the chain D. Above this and alongside of the wooden part of the handle there is preferably only a single long link or rod D.

In Figs. 9 and 11 are shown details of construction of the upper attachment with the hollow handle and chain connection. In this form a lever e is pivoted in the wall of the handle, to the shorter end of which is connected the chain D, the handle of the lever pointing uppermost and lying alongside of the handle of the sweeper when the pans are IOO closed. By reversing the position of the lever nearly to the handle of the sweeper the chain I) is raised similarly to that in the other forms of construction, thus operating the mechanism to open the pans. Upon letting go of the handle e the pans automatically close and the lever returns to the position shown in Fig. 9.

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator having hold of the upper end of the handle with one hand for the purpose of forcing the sweeper along the Iloor may grasp the hand-piece E with the other hand, and if it is desired to dump the dust-pans the sweeper-handle is held firmly in one hand and the hand-piece forced up on the handle, drawing up on the chain and the inner ends of the rock-arms l) and forcing the dust-pans open against the spring cl2. Then the hand-piece is elevated sufficiently to permit the springcatch c to spring underneath, the hand-piece is locked in its elevated position and the dustpans are held open. The dust-pans are t-hus opened and emptied without stooping and handling the sweeper itself.

I do not desire to limit myself either to the chain, as shown and heretofore described, or to the method of taking hold of it at the upper end, as various means may be employed that will suggest themselves. In place of the chain any cable may be used. In place of the sliding hand-piece E on the handle a lever e may be used, as shown in Fig. l2.

In the form shown in Fig. 2 the arm B2, corresponding to B and C, is curved downward and attached without any intermediate link to the pan A', the connection being made by means of a sliding joint b.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the arm B extends inward, the spring a? presses the arm B6 and the link C down ward, while normally the chain is pulled up along the handle and held against the downward stress of the spring co3 by the catch c as soon as the catch c is pushed inward, allowing the chain connection to move downward, and the spring throws the dust-pans open. The rock-shaft B has the rock-arm b of the form shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows another form of rock-shaft, which is bent upon itself to form a crank b4, which may be employed, if desired.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7 asingle rock-shaft B3 is employed, having on the end a rock-arm b3, which rock-arm leads in toward the middle line of the case and engages under a loop of the spring a2. The ends of this spring are pivoted to the dust-pans at a3, and the dust-pans are themselves pivoted at a4. The action of the spring a2 tends to draw its ends inward and toward one another and force the dust-pans into their closed position; but when the middle part of the spring is elevated by the upward movement of the rockarm b3 the inner ends of the dust-pans are elevated and the pans themselves swung open and are dumped. I do not claim this method of engaging the spring with the dust-pans or operating the dust pans by elevating the spring, the same being employed on a wellknown sweeper; but this figure is inserted and described for the purpose of showing the application of my invention to this construction.

I do not limit myself to the employment of a flexible cable, although I prefer that construction, as I have shown and described it. A rod may be employed for connecting the sliding hand-piece on the handle or the other means employed thereon with the operating mechanism for opening the dust-pans, the object of employing the flexible cable being to adapt the same for use on a sweeper on which the handle is permitted to swing. Neither do I desire to limit myself to a construction in which the cable or rod employed extends along the outside of the handle, as the same may pass up through the handle, and'such a construction I show in Figs. 9 and 11, the included chain being operated by means of a hand-piece connected with it through aslot in the handle.

The essential feature in my invention consists in the means for opening and closing the dust-pans of a sweeper when operated from a position along the handle and whether the operating mechanism within the case be connected to the external operating mechanism through a central opening in the case or elsewhere.

Vhat I claim as novel, and desire to have secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan, means for opening and closing said pan, a flexible cable permanently connected therewith and running lengthwise of the handle, and an attachment whereby said cablemay be operated to open the pan, substantially as described.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan, a lever for opening said dust-pan, a ilexible cable permanently connected with said lever and running lengthwise of the handle, and means for operating said cable to open said pan, substantially as described.

3. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan, means for opening said pan, a flexible cable permanently connected with said means for opening the pan and running lengthwise of the handle, and means whereby said cable may be operated to open said pan and to be locked at the extremity of its movement, substantially as described.

4. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan, a flexible cable permanently connected with means for opening said pan and running lengthwise of the handle, means for operating said cable, and a spring-actuating mechanism for closing said pan, substantially as described.

5. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan and a flexible cable permanently attached thereto and running lengthwise of and attached to the handle, adapted to open said dust-pan, substantially as described.

6. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of' a dust-pan and springs for closing the same,

IOO

IIO

a lever for opening said dust-pan, a Iiexible cable permanently connected to said lever and extending lengthwise of the handle, and a hand-piece to operate said cable to open said pan, substantially as described.

7. In a carpet-sweeper, the combination of a dust-pan, means for opening and closing the same, and a ilexible cable permanently connected therewith and extending outside of the case of the carpet-sweeper, whereby 1o the same may be opened and closed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE S. SANFORD. Witnesses:

MARION A. REEVE, EFFIE I. CROFT. 

